SIPO on the move?
- Michael
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Re: SIPO on the move?
Seven birds were flying south around 9am yesterday along Whamgamata Beach. Checked the small mudflats on the south side of the beach, no sign. Where would they be off too?
Latest Lifer: Australian Gull-Billed Tern @ Manawatu Estuary
- Nick Allen
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Re: SIPO on the move?
At least a couple of SIPOs flew over our place in NW Christchurch at about 8am this morning - apart from Spur-wings waders are pretty scarce this side of town.
- David Riddell
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Re: SIPO on the move?
Was doing our monthly beach patrol at Waikorea (north-west Waikato) on Friday afternoon - very little in the way of dead birds, but three pied oystercatchers flew up from the south. They circled once, then landed on the beach where there was a mixed group of black-backed gulls, Caspian and white-fronted terns and a couple of NZ dotterels. Only stayed a couple of minutes, then took off and continued north along the water's edge. First we've seen at Waikorea, presumably birds on migration.
- Oscar Thomas
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Re: SIPO on the move?
A flock of 30 flew past the gannet colony last Saturday I think it was? Never seen them in the area, closest flocks I can think of are at Huia, Mangere and in the Kaipara.
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Re: SIPO on the move?
I live in Darfield, Canterbury and I see SIPO fly over going south west in late winter and then sometimes see them coming back in mid summer. (those may not be exact dates, i cant quite remeber off the top of my head)
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Re: SIPO on the move?
In the Riwaka/Marahau areas in Tasman Bay back in the 1980s and 90s (and I assume continuing today) over late Dec and thru Jan it was a regular occurrence to hear SIPO calling from a great height moving north. You couldn't easily see them with the naked eye, but you cold pick them up with binocs. I remember one day flock after flock moved through. It was mainly during daylight (unlike SIPO migratory movt over CHCH city, which is mainly at night, although you do see smaller numbers during daylight.
Ian, I have a nice little data set of SIPO post-breeding flocking build up on the golfcourse at Twizel, the flock building daily as birds came off riverbed breeding grounds and fed/roosted under the sprinklers at the golfcourse prior to migrating north. I also have a good data set (33 years and counting) of SIPO moving thru the CHCH estuaries, so if others have similar data for sites at different latitudes , then its worth collaborating on a paper describing the timing and route of the northward SIPO migration..... Its a great story to tell.
Ian, I have a nice little data set of SIPO post-breeding flocking build up on the golfcourse at Twizel, the flock building daily as birds came off riverbed breeding grounds and fed/roosted under the sprinklers at the golfcourse prior to migrating north. I also have a good data set (33 years and counting) of SIPO moving thru the CHCH estuaries, so if others have similar data for sites at different latitudes , then its worth collaborating on a paper describing the timing and route of the northward SIPO migration..... Its a great story to tell.
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Re: SIPO on the move?
Suzanne reported a SIPO heading upriver at Balclutha this morning. They don't usually appear inland until the last week or so in June (after the solstice).
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Re: SIPO on the move?
There have been a few SIPO around the Balclutha area since 10th May, but this afternoon at 1650 (sunset 1658) a flock of 15 flew up the Koau (southern) branch of the Clutha, did a u-turn at the east end of the airfield, and then gained altitude as they headed roughly NW along the Clutha Valley till they were lost from sight.
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Re: SIPO on the move?
SIPO migrating back to South Island on June = early winter ???
I thought SIPO don't come back to South Island (breeding), from North Island (wintering) until August.
I thought SIPO don't come back to South Island (breeding), from North Island (wintering) until August.
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Re: SIPO on the move?
Saw a nice 'V' formation of c.35 SIPO flying north over the waves at Waikanae Beach (Wellington) on 21 Jan 2018.